My husband, the avid hiker, gave me a set of hiking poles and these instructions: “When you start to feel exhausted,” he said, “just concentrate on your next step. Where’s the next, best place to put your foot? Carefully put your foot there, and before you know it you’ll be at the top.”

Many of us get through parenting in this exact same way.

Exhausted, we survive day-to-day by focusing on the bare minimum required next step in our parenting journey. Just getting through until bedtime, or until Saturday’s soccer game, or until the next school break. We limit our thinking to the immediate, the urgent, and the short-term—because that feels productive. It feels like we’re getting somewhere.

In truth, taking just 5 minutes to look at the long view can be exhilarating.

When I was climbing that mountain in Zion, the moments that took my breath away happened when I stopped, lifted my head, and looked out over miles of sheer cliffs and valleys, all the way to the misty distant horizon.

Taking 5 minutes to look toward the parenting horizon can be both exhilarating and transformative.

For 5 minutes right now, think, “What could we as a family do this year, that could impact our descendants 100 years from now?”

Is there something you could do now related to education, to money and debt, or to moral and spiritual development, that could pay off for generations to come?

Our culture is currently plagued and limited by a short-term thinking mindset. You don’t have to be.

Ari Wallach, in this powerful TED Talk, urges us all to transform our children’s and grandchildren’s futures by breaking free of the 3-5 year “short-termism” that, he says, “permeates every nook and cranny of our cultural reality.” Wallach calls us all to practice “longpath” thinking that asks this important question: “To what end?”

What is the purpose in what we’re doing? Where are we going with this?

How will these decisions we’re making today impact our family 100 years from now?

What could we do this year that could pay off in huge ways…for generations?

Carefully consider these words, which I consider to be the most important in Wallach’s TED Talk:

If you’re parenting a kid who’s not yet in kindergarten, you’re wondering how in the world you ended up reading an article written by a writer who gets kids through college debt-free. Keep reading and I’ll tell you why this blog is the best place for you to be right now.

On the day your baby starts kindergarten, your family is likely to experience an exhilarating financial windfall.

Daycare expenses may suddenly plummet.

A former stay-at-home parent might start working full-time or part-time.

The boost in your income in either of these scenarios is likely to be sudden and remarkable.

During the year before your baby starts kindergarten, sit down and plan how to invest this windfall.

Using the resources and support of someone like Dave Ramsey, start aggressively paying off your own student loan and

Your 12th grader is in tears, desperate for you to give him the go-ahead to attend an elite university that’ll cost him $950 per month for 10 years after college.You want him to be happy.Do you say yes?

Before you respond, you’ll need to be clear on the answer to this one question:“Is it really true that elite private education is so enriching that it automatically leads to a happier, more fulfilled life after college?”What does the research say?

1. The college you attend doesn’t actually affect your future happiness after college. “When you ask college graduates whether they’re “engaged” with their work or “thriving” in all aspects of their lives,” Kamenetz writes, “their responses don’t vary one bit whether they went to a prestigious college or not.”

2.The college you attend doesn’t move the needle one bit on five separate measures of human happiness. Gallup pollsters asked college grads an array of questions designed to measure how well they were doing in regard to financial health, sense of purpose, physical health, financial security, close relationships, and community pride.The astounding finding? “(The results) did not vary based on whether the grads went to a fancy name-brand school or a regional state college, one of the top 100 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings or one of the bottom 100.”

I’m always most able to inspire people when I talk to them face-to-face.

The video above gives me the chance to do that, for you, right now.

Click the play button above now; watch for just two minutes.

And let this excited, hopeful feeling wash over you: Kids at all income levels actually can get through college debt free.

P.S. I have exciting news: Soon you’ll be able to hold and read my book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward. People are very excited about this book because when President Obama made his sweeping changes to the U.S. financial aid system on September 13, 2015, every other book on this subject was instantly out of date. This book will be the first to contain comprehensive strategies for navigating President Obama’s changes.

What questions do you have about this? Comment below, or LIKE “Jeannie Burlowski, Author” on Facebook and comment on this post there. Follow me on Twitter @JBurlowski.

My Popular Free PDF is Now a Full Color E-book. Still FREE -- For a Limited Time

A massive number of parents have read my free PDF “12 Ways to Save $10,000 on College.” This was heroic on their part, because it was little more than a Word document with a nice letterhead at the top.

Now this free PDF has been made into a full color e-book — including completely new and updated information on what grandparents can do to help kids get through college debt free. (All the guidelines for grandparents changed when President Obama made his big announcement on September 13, 2015.) This e-book is going to be available for free for a limited time — but only on the front page of this website. So click here, download now, and enjoy hope and help for free.

Deadline to Register: November 5th

Imagine your high school age son up late at night, in his bedroom with his desk light burning, reading a book on software design or motivating employees or robotics engineering or building construction or funding service-oriented nonprofits — just because he’s fascinated and wants to learn more.

Imagine your 10th grade daughter getting genuinely excited about learning — because you’ve helped her to get a glimpse of what she, personally, might love to do for a career someday.

This can happen for your son or daughter, if you make a way for him or her to do career direction work early on.

Today I’m going to give you a way to get quality career direction help for your 15 – 24-year-old son or daughter right now, this fall.

13-year-old Chicago resident Michael wanted to become a millionaire, but he didn’t want to work 86 years at the Illinois minimum wage in order to get there.

How could this middle schooler accomplish his goal without turning to crime or workaholism?

This inspiring story from Dave Ramsey tells us how.

Dave Ramsey’s story:

Ben and Arthur were friends who grew up together. At age 19, Ben decided to invest $2,000 every year for eight years. He picked investment funds that averaged a 12% interest rate. Then, at age 26, Ben stopped putting money into his investments. That’s right — Ben stopped investing at age 26. He put a total of just $16,000 into his investment funds.

Before you jump to the conclusion that Ben just made a terrible mistake, read on for Ben’s jaw-dropping, fantastic result.

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What others are saying …

"We only got around to doing a fraction of what Jeannie tells people to do, and we saved well over $50,000 on college costs. Our daughter earned a four year degree from an excellent private university at age 20, and she's now in California happily working her dream job at Disney. Get to one of Jeannie's live classes if you can. Buy a plane ticket if you have to!"
-- Liz and Tim Weatherhead, parents, Bloomington, MN

"Students who go through college without career direction are, as Jeannie Burlowski says: 'like archers who pull the arrow back on the bowstring, shoot, and then years later look around for the target.' Jeannie's resources help students to take aim early and fire a sure shot. Whether that's at medical school, or at some other worthy endeavor."
-- Dr. Paul Amble, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale School of Medicine
Chief Forensic Psychiatrist for the State of Connecticut

"Jeannie Burlowski has been instrumental in helping me to reach some of my highest academic goals."
-- Jordan Denitz, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, University of California, San Diego Greek Scholar of the Year

"Just read a single tip on JeannieBurlowski.com and immediately made an important change on our daughter's FAFSA form that could save us tons. Thank you Jeannie!"
-- Amy Lively, author of The Neighborhood Cafe theneighborhoodcafe.net

"Jeannie didn't just help me get into my favorite college, she helped me figure out what I actually want from college. I attribute my top-notch scholarship, my new straight-A study skills, and my future aspirations to two afternoons I spent with Jeannie. If you want a great future, start with Jeannie Burlowski."
-- BradWalton, Fort Collins, Colorado

"Hi Jeannie! I am completely thrilled and excited with everything you say and do. I just made a 3 ring binder and downloaded every single grade level task for college prep, in addition to your blog articles. I am extremely passionate and committed to getting (our daughter) through college with the least amount of debt possible. I just wanted to say 'thank you' for this valuable information and how much I appreciate you as a college curator. You are the BEST and I look forward to your books when they are released."
-- Parent

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About

I am a full-time academic strategist, conference speaker, and author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward.

My writing and speaking provide parents a clear, step-by-step checklist so they can set their kids up to succeed brilliantly in college, graduate debt-free, and move directly into careers they excel at and love.

For more than 20 years, I've helped students apply to highly competitive law, medical, business, and grad schools. I still do that from my website GetIntoMedSchool.com.

I am married, and my husband and I have a son and a daughter. We live in Minneapolis.

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Disclaimer

Note: Information provided by Jeannie Burlowski and JeannieBurlowski.com is for general informational purposes only. Because consultants cannot control student grades, test scores, individual family situations, or how well or how thoroughly parents follow the suggestions offered in these pages, no representation, warranty, or guarantee can be made and no liability is assumed regarding any individual’s ability to graduate college debt free or succeed in career or in life. Seek the advice and counsel of a properly licensed CPA, Certified Financial Planner, or other licensed professional for specific guidance on how to apply these principles to your family’s individual financial situation.

About Me

I am a full-time academic strategist, conference speaker, and author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward.

My writing and speaking provide parents a clear, step-by-step checklist so they can set their kids up to succeed brilliantly in college, graduate debt-free, and move directly into careers they excel at and love.

For more than 20 years, I've helped students apply to highly competitive law, medical, business, and grad schools. I still do that from my website GetIntoMedSchool.com.

I am married, and my husband and I have a son and a daughter. We live in Minneapolis.